Smokey Saloon: Relatively the best burger in Seoul.

Itaewon, Seoul, Korea

Geographically, Seoul is 25% smaller than New York City, and according to current census figures; Seoul contains two million more people. Of the near eleven million people living in Seoul, the overwhelming majority of them are Korean, born and raised, and eating wonderfully spicy, salty, fiber filled foods. There are thousands of restaurants, and a great number of them are the Korean equivalent to a neighborhood greasy spoon, selling three dollar meals, like kimchi stew with rice and kimchi, or still others may sell slightly more expensive specialty meals like soy sauce steamed chicken with vegetables and glass noodles. When Koreans eat meat as a main dish, it is often grilled at the table, and enjoyed wrapped in lettuce or sesame leaves and accompanied by soup and side dishes. Needless to say, there aren’t many burger joints in Seoul. The last time I visited K-town in the east thirties, I didn’t go there to find a good burger.

Before Smokey Saloon opened in the Itaewon district of Seoul, there were two places I visited regularly for my burger fix: McDonalds and my own kitchen. Behind the main shopping and eating district in the traditional foreigner district of Seoul, this joint serves plates of burgers and fries to craving expatriates and curious Koreans visiting the neighborhood on the weekend. The place is tiny, with four tables on the inside and two more in the covered porch. The walls are painted black with images of jazz musicians spray painted in dark gold and blue on one wall and a mirror blanketing the entire opposite wall. Not matter where you sit, you breathe the effervescent griddle smoke and the greasy smell of burgers tickle your nose to the crackle of beef fat on hot metal. Above, stained glass lamps illuminate the room a dull yellow-orange hue; even on the brightest day, the black walls dampen the natural light to allow the vintage New York burger joint feel to carry homesick foreigners back to their favorite neighborhood spot, or to transport fashionable Korean girls or well dressed business men into a cultural experience they have never lived before and only try to live vicariously through the creative efforts of an American trained restaurateur.

I always choose the classic Smokey burger. The menu, however, caters to the tastes of all eaters who may come, sacrificing the burgers true flavor for a wide assortment of toppings and sauces, the menu reads like a wine list at a well dressed wine bar for educated diners who want to experience the myriad nuances a single culinary item can produce. In any case I went there for the burger, the classic comes with shredded cabbage below and is topped with a lightly grilled, thickly sliced onion with ketchup on top. The bread is a delicious little bun, gently orange in color, and having a girth slightly larger than the whole package. At first glance, the burger appeared to be more vertical than horizontal, so much so, that I was worried at the beginning about its eat-ability.

Cooked slightly more than medium, the burger lacked any savory pink color, however, it was exceptionally juicy. The burger held firm, not crumbly, but the subtle flavor of the meat was hard to find in the heavily salted and spiced patty. The onion and cabbage added a nice crunch, and helped balance the whole experience. As I continued to eat, the juice continued to dribble out and onto my hand through the crumbling bun. Sooner than later, I realized that the bun lacked resilience and elasticity and crumbled like a wet pound cake under the weight of the savory red juices. I was able to handle the burger through the last bites, but my two companions, Koreans lacking proper burger eating skills, had to resort to forks halfway through. At the table across from us, four pretty Korean girls didn’t even try to use their hands, they picked at their burgers with forks and knifes like doctors dissecting the intricate ligaments of a human knee.

Overall, a beautiful burger to look at, with all the tell tale scents of a classic masterpiece, but difficult to handle. The slight shortcomings in the meat can be forgiven in a country where the top domestic meat is reserved for Korean barbeque, and the imported Australian meat is used for cheap Korean barbeque and stews at Korean greasy spoon restaurants. Recently they approved an important free trade agreement between the United States and South Korea and the most contested and publicized product (besides rice) was beef. Maybe this will create a surplus of quality meat in Korea, which can be ground into fresh delicious burgers and will fuel a cottage industry of neighborhood burger joints, but this may just be wishful thinking. Until then, Smokey Saloon in Itaewon is still relatively the best burger in Seoul.

P.S. Smokey’s has opened a new location in the affluent, shopping, dining and living district of Apgu-jeong. I’m off to there next.

– Seoul Brother, 6/25/07